1907 DWM Gew98! Spanish Civil War Conversion

[Desert_Fox]

I have a very neat rifle to share with you guys.

Just picked it up yesterday. It was sold as a "Mauser 98 7mm".

I got about 4 grainy pics sent to me which told me it was a DWM Gew98, with some slight alterations.

What I have found out about it is:

- Original DWM Manufactured Gew98 in the year of 1907.
- Reworked in the Weimar Period to Kar98b Specs. (Removal of "Lange Vizier" sights and replaced with s/42 (Mauser Oberndorf) made K98 style "Tangent Leaf" sight) (Original Imperial Bolt bent down to Kar98b/K98 Spec.)
- Appears to have a Weimar Period proofed 8mm barrel installed on the Imperial 1907 Receiver.

What you will all notice is that the barrel has been turned out of its original "top dead center" location, and has had a 7x57mm sleeve added into the chamber (I assume).

The original Gew98 stock or Kar98b stock has been removed and replaced with a (most likely) Spanish version of the Gew98 Stock which is devoid of any unit disc/takedown disc, correct rear sling swivel, etc.

On the side of the rear of the buttstock, it is marked "ENTUBADOS A 7m/m" (Which with my horrible Spanish, loosely translates to "Chambered in 7mm".

The top handguard does have a crack in it, but it is not broken.

The bore appears to be quite good, with sharp rifling... will know more when I clean her up and buy some 7x57mm Mauser cartridges to feed her! This will be my first Mauser Chambered in 7mm! Can add it to my plethora of 8mm's, 308's, 30-06's, and 7.65x53mm that I now have to load for!

The rifle is not matching, except for the new Spanish Serials of what I believe is "126z". But the Original Imperial German made bolt IS all matching to itself.

Also, I am quite certain that the sight "Roller Coaster" was switched out from the original s/42 8mm version to the Spanish 7mm version.

Please let me know what you think, your opinions, and ANY other information you can provide! I am ALWAYS happy to learn!

PS: Yes, I realize it is wearing a Russian Mosin Nagant Sling....

Cheers!

 

[Claven2]

None of your photos appear to be liked properly. They are not displaying.

 

[Desert_Fox]

None of your photos appear to be liked properly. They are not displaying.

Ah Crap! Will fix. Stay tuned....

*EDIT* All Pictures work now!

 

[Claven2]

IMHO, it's rifle that likely went to Spain with the Condor Legion in 1936 (or so). After the war, Spain rebuilt a lot of damaged rifles to 7mm, but at the same time converted and new-made a bunch in 8mm. Later still, many of those were re-converted to 7.62 NATO.

It seems off they would convert an 8mm G98 to 7mm when they were converting 7mm M1916 carbines and rifles to 8mm, but it might have been a different branch of the armed forces, or alternately, it was easier to sleeve a shot-out 8mm barrel than to scrap it and manufacture a totally new one.

 

[bearhunter]

IMHO, it's rifle that likely went to Spain with the Condor Legion in 1936 (or so). After the war, Spain rebuilt a lot of damaged rifles to 7mm, but at the same time converted and new-made a bunch in 8mm. Later still, many of those were re-converted to 7.62 NATO.

It seems off they would convert an 8mm G98 to 7mm when they were converting 7mm M1916 carbines and rifles to 8mm, but it might have been a different branch of the armed forces, or alternately, it was easier to sleeve a shot-out 8mm barrel than to scrap it and manufacture a totally new one.

Ball says the rifles were rebored/rechambered after WWI in Oviedo for the Army, to 7x57.

This would make sense at that time as the 7x57 was still their mainstay round.

It wasn't until later, in the early thirties that the Condor Legion was equipped with M1933 Standard Modell Short Rifles, which were already in 8x57.

Nice rifle OP. I've only seen a few of them as most didn't survive the refits to 8x57 and later to 7.62x51 CETME.

 

[Claven2]

Except that this rifle was still in German service until 1936 or so because it's a Weimar-proofed (crown U) early nazi-era S/42 conversion of a G98, not a WW1 rifle. Ball's description doesn't fit here.

 

[Desert_Fox]

Except that this rifle was still in German service until 1936 or so because it's a Weimar-proofed (crown U) early nazi-era S/42 conversion of a G98, not a WW1 rifle. Ball's description doesn't fit here.

Didn't the Reichswehr start the conversions in the early 20's? If it was a Nazi era conversion, wouldn't it possibly have been shortened to the 98k specs?

I guess I have seen pics of Wehrmacht, and SS troops with Gew98's though...

I am starting to think bearhunter is on to something...

Anybody have any ideas on the barrel maker codes? Gew98s are a new arena for me.

PS:

*The 3 WaffenAmpts on the top of the barrel are all WaA214*

*Rear sight leaf is marked S/42G with (2) WaA63*

*Right side of rear sight sleeve is marked just S/42 with (2) Weimar WaA63 Birds.*

 

[Nabs]

Here is what I see from the rifle:

Made in 1907 by Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabkrien, went through WW1, hidden away after that and pulled out in 1934-1935 and re-worked by Waffenfabrik Mauser to include a tangent rear sight (S/42 marking on sight and sight base) along with getting a new barrel installed sometime during the same period, she went to Spain in the mid to late 1930s possibly with German forces or given to Franco's forces I'm not sure. She was retained by Spain and reworked to 7mm Mauser and marked on the stock while being re-serialized by them at the same time (four digit number above the original German serial number).

She would have been a Gewehr 98m in the mid 1930s with Germany, these are Gewehr 98s that only have their rear sights replaced but most, if not all, of the Imperial German parts are retained.

As for who bent the bolt handle down, many Gewehr 98ms had their straight bolts, my Gewehr 98b was reworked by Simson Suhl in the early 1920s and has a turned down bolt but there is very little information on why a handful of these have turned up. I cannot say for sure who bent the bolt handle down (Germans or Spanish) for your example though.

Hope this helps .

Edit: I just noticed she has a possible 1893 Mauser stock put on her too ? That is most interesting to see as well.

 

[Desert_Fox]

Hope this helps .

Thanks for your insight Nabs!

In regards to the Gew98m, I hear the new K98 book (by the guys that did "Kriegsmodell") will include a chapter on the 98m's!

This rifle sure seems to be a conundrum! So many theories! Would be very interesting if it did see action in the Spanish Civil War. Seems to be so very few of these 7mm conversions around, that there is very little firm info on them...

 

[smellie]

WaA 63 was at Mauser/Oberndorf

The Weimar rifles were double-dated. Mine is a Mauser 1915/1920.

ENTUBADO: "entubed": lined. The bore is reamed and a rifled LINER installed, just as with the Vetterli-Vitali 1870/87/1915 conversions. Expensive, but cheaper than a whole new rifle.

You are a lucky, lucky, LUCKY guy!!!!!

VERY nice toy!
.

 

[Desert_Fox]

Edit: I just noticed she has a possible 1893 Mauser stock put on her too ? That is most interesting to see as well.

Great eyes! I have never owned a Gew98 before, so I didn't notice the incorrect stock, but I just realized looking at pics of both the 1893 and the 1898 rifles, that you are definitely right! It is a converted 1893 stock! Now I know why the stock wasn't recessed for the turned down bolt knob!

WaA 63 was at Mauser/Oberndorf

The Weimar rifles were double-dated. Mine is a Mauser 1915/1920.

ENTUBADO: "entubed": lined. The bore is reamed and a rifled LINER installed, just as with the Vetterli-Vitali 1870/87/1915 conversions. Expensive, but cheaper than a whole new rifle.

You are a lucky, lucky, LUCKY guy!!!!!

VERY nice toy!
.

Very cool!!! Thanks for that awesome info Smellie! My wife speaks Spanish, but she had never heard of that word before?? A liner! That makes sense! And it's still a German 8mm Barrel overtop!

I read that most were double dated, yes, but can you suppose why this one isn't marked as such? Yet it has the Gew98b/m conversion done to it? Did this make it to Espanien in 1918/1919, the 1920's, or did it go there in the 30's as aid to Franco? I do to find it odd if it was converted to 7mm in the latter half of the '30s in Spain, whilst the Spanish were already switching to 8mm....

The Spaniards sure turned this into one odd duck!

I still find it hard to fathom how this one made it to Edmonton after all these years without being further converted by Spain or being sporterized along the way in it's travels in North America! Yay for me!

 

[smellie]

I think it might have come in about 30 years ago. A bunch of believed-Spanish Mausers came in at that time. I have one here with supposedly-Spanish rebuild markings, a Kar98aZ of Danzig manufacture, rebuilt in Czechoslovakia in 1923, sporting a big black butt brand of a leaping horse above a monogram of the letters C, I and A. NOBODY can ID this marking and I have tried Germany, the Czech military and the Spanish national museum....... and there is nobody who knows Spanish rifles better than Juan Calvo.

A mystery.

I think one of the previous posters has hit upon the reason this one was not double-dated. The Reichswehr was limited to 100,000 men and equipment for same. IAACC (Inter-Allied Armaments Control Commission) checked things pretty carefully when they were equipping. There were a LOT of rifles and MGs hidden away which started coming out after Adolf was elected and became Prime Minister.

Hope this helps.
.

 

[Desert_Fox]

I think it might have come in about 30 years ago. A bunch of believed-Spanish Mausers came in at that time. I have one here with supposedly-Spanish rebuild markings, a Kar98aZ of Danzig manufacture, rebuilt in Czechoslovakia in 1923, sporting a big black butt brand of a leaping horse above a monogram of the letters C, I and A. NOBODY can ID this marking and I have tried Germany, the Czech military and the Spanish national museum....... and there is nobody who knows Spanish rifles better than Juan Calvo.

A mystery.

I think one of the previous posters has hit upon the reason this one was not double-dated. The Reichswehr was limited to 100,000 men and equipment for same. IACC (International Arms Control Commission) checked things pretty carefully when they were equipping. There were a LOT of rifles and MGs hidden away which started coming out after Adolf was elected and became Prime Minister.

Hope this helps.
.

Makes sense! Those shifty Germans!!!

That "Leaping Horse" brand you speak of sounds very interesting! Perhaps some sort of 'unknown to us' Militia/Regimental marking? Would love to see a picture of it!

Still nifty to think that this "Gew98m/b/93 Semi-Transitional-Converted 7mm Rifle" still has a receiver that was made in 1907 in Berlin! Back in the days when Der Kaiser was still strolling ###ly down the Wilhelmstraße without a care in the world! Emperor of the Germans and King of all the Prussians! ....and 11 years later, he would be fleeing his Kingdom with his tail between his legs to a flat in Holland!

 

[Nabs]

That rifle has been there, seen this, and done that. Imagine if she could talk ?

 

[harryhand]

Very nice rifle! Good score

 

[Desert_Fox]

That rifle has been there, seen this, and done that. Imagine if she could talk ?

She probably has PTSD!

 

[Desert_Fox]

I think it might have come in about 30 years ago. A bunch of believed-Spanish Mausers came in at that time. I have one here with supposedly-Spanish rebuild markings, a Kar98aZ of Danzig manufacture, rebuilt in Czechoslovakia in 1923, sporting a big black butt brand of a leaping horse above a monogram of the letters C, I and A. NOBODY can ID this marking and I have tried Germany, the Czech military and the Spanish national museum....... and there is nobody who knows Spanish rifles better than Juan Calvo.

A mystery.
.....
.

In regards to your "Leaping Horse" mark...

Apparently, the Hannover Proof House has used a "Leaping Horse" Proof mark since 1968... Although, this would not be on the stock of course... and no one can talk to a horse of course!

Have you tried the Permanent International Commission (the CIP) for the Proof of Small Arms? http://www.cip-bobp.org/

......


Also, anyone recognize the proofs on the bolt? "Crown over U and Crown over B" vertical on top of bolt handle. "Cursive D over Crown over ?Unknown Letter/Symbol?" on the bottom of the bolt handle? Which manufacturer made this bolt?

Cheers!

*EDIT* Looks like the barrel might be a JP Sauer and Sohn made in 1935... The bolt appears to be a Commercial proofed bolt, but still not sure as to the maker. Thanks to "Simpson Suhl" at the K98k Forum for this updated info.

More answers, and even more questions still!

 

[jbmauser]

Very cool rifle. There is a ton of history behind it. Thanks for sharing!!

 

[Nabs]

They definitely resemble commercial inspector marks that are on my Geha shotgun bolts. Perhaps she was proofed for commercial export to Spain in the 1930s ?